14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments: to 18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come : you. 19 Yet a little while, and the 16 And I will pray the Fa-world seeth me no more; but ye ther, and he shall give you an- see me: because I live, ye shall other Comforter, that he may live also. abide with you forever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. ing, therefore, necessary for the performance of their work, would be withholden from the apostles. 14. Any thing. The Saviour had reference, clearly, to any thing that was necessary for the successful prosecution of their work. He repeated the assurance contained in the preceding verse, so as to excite unwavering confidence in his faithfulness. 16. Comforter. The office of him who is here called a Comforter included instruction and guidance respecting Christian truth, as well as consolation. Compare v. 26 and 16: 13, 14. He was to be a Helper to them in a most extensive sense, as Christ had been. ||Abide with you forever. Christ's abiding with his followers was a temporaThat of the Holy Spirit was to be permanent; he would never leave them. ry one. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me, shall be loved of friendless, and destitute of proper guidance. || Come to you. The Saviour would grant them his spiritual presence, though in body he would be absent from them. Compare Matt. 18: 20. 19. Ye see me; ye shall see me. Our Lord referred to what he had just mentioned, namely, his spiritual presence with the apostles. They would know that their Master, though unseen by mortal eyes, was still with them. I live; I live, and possess a life-giving and life-sustaining power. Compare 6: 35, 50, 51. || Ye shall live; your spiritual life shall be sustained, and you shall be made truly happy here and hereafter. Though I am to depart from earth, yet my power will secure to you whatever your highest happiness requires. 20. At that day; in the time when 17. The Spirit of truth; the Spir- I am removed from you, as to bodily it who should make known divine presence. || Ye shall know that I am truth. Seeth him not, neither know- in the Father. By the spiritual strength eth him; does not rightly conceive of and bliss which you will then rehim, nor of his designs, and therefore ceive from me, you will be fully condoes not cordially welcome him. || Ye vinced that I am intimately united know him; ye know his designs, and with the Father. If I were not united are rightly disposed towards him. with the Father, I could not bestow The word know in the Bible frequent- such blessings. Ye in me, and I in ly contains the additional idea of ap-you; between you and me there is an probation and love. || Shall be in you; as a teacher and guide. The Spirit would make known to the disciples the divine will, and so influence their hearts that they would cheerfully obey it. 18. Comfortless; like orphans, intimate union, I cherishing affection for you, and communicating to you blessings, and you receiving those blessings from me. 21. Manifest myself; spiritually. I will grant a sense of my presence and love. my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, (not Iscariot,) Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love ine, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 25 These things have I spo not Iscariot. See 22. Judas Luke 6: 16. 23. Make our abode with him. The idea is the same as is suggested in the preceding verse, with the additional thought of a continued enjoyment of God's presence and love. Compare Ps. 73: 23-28. 26. In my name; in my behalf, carrying forward my cause. All things; all things that would be necessary for the performance of their work. By the Spirit's influences, the apostles were to be imbued with full and accurate knowledge of the Messiah's religion, and to be fully qualified to teach and to maintain it. 27. Peace I leave with you. The word used among the Jews corresponding to peace was employed in their salutations and in taking leave of friends; thus, Peace be to you; and, Go in peace. It answered, when used at taking leave, to our word farewell, which, when understood according to its etymology, may you FARE WELL, is equivalent to supplicating a blessing. The Saviour, then, may be regarded as saying, I leave you a fare ken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. well, a blessing. He was just ready to finish his earthly course, and to be separated from his disciples, whom he had so tenderly loved. He bade them farewell. But not as friends on earth ordinarily used such an expression, would he now use it. He would use it in all its fulness of meaning. || My peace; a farewell, a benediction, such as it is suitable for me to give, such as no one else can give. Not as the world giveth. Men use the language of blessing, but the blessing itself is beyond their power. Their professed wishes for another's good are powerless, and sometimes insincere. Not so with the Saviour's benediction on his disciples. The Sa 28. How I said unto you. See vs. 2, 3. || If ye loved me; that is, as truly and earnestly as ye ought. My Father is greater than I. viour here viewed himself as the agent or servant of the Father, engaged in a commission which was now about being completed. When his work should be finished, he was to return to the Father, to receive signal honor for himself (see Mark 16: 19), 29 And now I have told you be- | know that I love the Father; fore it come to pass, that when it and as the Father gave me comis come to pass, ye might believe. mandment, even so I do. Arise, 30 Hereafter I will not talk let us go hence. much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 31 But that the world may and to obtain the agency of the Holy Spirit for carrying into effect his merciful designs. A true and enlightened love to their Master, then, would have led the disciples to rejoice in his going to the Father; for such was the divine plan, and the success of the Saviour's cause required it, in order that the Father might send forth the Spirit. Compare vs. 16, 26. 15: 26. 16:7-15. 29. When it is come to pass, ye might believe. By the Saviour's clearly predicting that he was about to go to the Father, the disciples would be convinced that the termination of his life did not happen at unawares. But by its happening in accordance with his prediction, they would perceive new evidence that he really came from God, and that he was fully acquainted with the plans of God. 30. The prince of this world; Satan, elsewhere called the god of this world (2 Cor. 4: 4), and the one who rules among the children of disobedience (Eph. 2: 2), that is, among the wicked. Compare 12: 31. || Cometh; to assail me, and to defeat my righteous designs. || Hath nothing in me. tan would find in the Saviour nothing similar to himself. The expression here employed in the original is also significant of power, and may convey the idea, He has no power against me, he will not prevail against me. Sa 31. Even so I do. The Saviour referred to what was just before him, namely, his being seized and put to death. Such an event was embraced in the divine plan, and in the charge which Jesus had received from the Father; and such was his love to the Father, and such his acquiescence in the Father's instructions, that he I CHAPTER XV. AM the true vine, and my would promptly go forth to meet death in the appointed way. Thus would he give evidence to the world of his love to the Father, and of his obedience to the divine will. || Arise, let us go hence. The conversation recorded in this chapter, was held at the table at which the passover supper and the newly-instituted Lord's supper had been taken. Jesus now proposed that all should arise and go forth from the house. It would seem, however, from the three following chapters, that the Saviour still lingered with his disciples, probably in the same room. Compare 18: 1. He had still much affectionate advice to give them; and the short time which remained before his being betrayed, he wished to employ in the most profitable manner. The company doubtless arose from the table, and while making preparation to depart, Jesus again drew their attention to himself, and protracted their stay in the house. HINT. We cannot but notice the strong attachment of Jesus to his followers, his deep solicitude for their which he has made for their being welfare, and the ample provision guided to their heavenly home. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 7. Ye shall ask what ye will. All the necessary endowments for the profitable discharge of their duty, the disciples would certainly receive in answer to prayer, if they adhered to Christ as the giver of spir indeed, imparting nourishment and vigor to its branches. His disciples he represented as the branches. They must adhere to him, as their Lord, their teacher, their guide. Only by this adherence to him, can they be spiritually alive, and be truly profit-itual life. able. If their adherence to him be merely nominal, not real and vital, they cannot enjoy the benefits which it is in his power to bestow. 2. Purgeth; pruneth, trimmeth. 3. Ye are clean. As the skilful vine-dresser cleanses the thrifty branch, that is, removes from it the impediments to its growth and fruitfulness, so ye are morally cleansed, and may be compared to branches pruned and fruitful. Through the word; instruction in religious truth. 5. Without me; apart from me. || Do nothing; that is, in promoting my cause. VOL. II. 21 9. Continue ye in my love. The connection shows our Lord's meaning to have been, Continue to hold your place in my affections by a careful obedience to my commands. Live in such a manner that I may continue to love you. 11. My joy might remain in you; the joy which I feel in respect to you might be abiding. || Your joy; the happiness which you experience from my favor. 12. Love one another, as I have loved you; sincerely and ardently, so as to be willing even to die for one another. If 15 Henceforth I call you not | 20 Remember the word that servants; for the servant know- I said unto you, The servant is eth not what his lord doeth: but not greater than his lord. I have called you friends; for they have persecuted me, they all things that I have heard of will also persecute you: if they my Father, I have made known have kept my saying, they will unto you. keep yours also. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. 18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 15. The servant knoweth not, &c. The servant is not admitted to such affectionate intercourse with his master as to be made acquainted with his designs. || All things that I have heard of my Father; the things which I have been commissioned by my Father to perform. I have given you information concerning the design for which I came into the world. 16. Ye have not chosen me; it is not you that first chose me as your Master, but it is I who first chose you to be my disciples. || Ordained; appointed. In my name; as my disciples, and from a regard to my purposes. Compare 14: 13, 14. 19. His own; that which belongs to the world, that which is like the world. 20. The word that I said unto you. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. 23 He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin but now have they both seen, and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their See 13: 16. Compare Matt. 10:24. 21. Know. See on 14: 17. 22. They had not had sin; that is, comparatively speaking. So greatly is their guilt increased by their rejection of me, that, had they never heard of me, they would have been comparatively free from guilt. Guilt is proportioned, of course, to the advantages possessed and abused. Compare Luke 12: 48. || No cloak; no adequate excuse. 23. He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. Hence, how great and inexcusable is the guilt of rejecting Jesus Christ! 25. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled, &c. The hatred which was cherished against Jesus was remarkably coincident with a passage in the Jewish Scriptures; and that passage might be considered |